This novel, “comes after [Sunset Island], to shed light on an important phase in Moroccan history, replete with tragic events, beginning with the conquest of Algeria, through the defeat of the Battle of Isly and the setback of Emir Abdelkader’s adventure, and ending with the imposition of the protectorate over Morocco in 1912.” The heroes of “this epic,” according to the novel’s introduction, “are characters of flesh and blood: defeated sultans who depose one another, an authoritarian entourage with no vision for the country’s future or stance toward those lying in wait for it, arrogant consuls looking for opportunities to sink it, spies roaming the country, studying every detail, and a submissive people who watch with regret as their hopes and destinies are shattered on the rock of impotence and weakness.”